Aidan frowned. “There should be a warning not to eat too much before dinner.”
Jackie didn’t know if he was being particularly grumpy or if she was more sensitive than usual. “There’ll be so much to do that no one will want to spend a lot of time in the food areas.”
Aidan nodded, his piercing blue eyes taking in every detail of the room.
He hadn’t smiled since he’d arrived, and Jackie didn’t know whether it was because he didn’t like what they’d organized or if he was already distancing himself from her.
“Let’s look at the auction items,” Jackie said as she led Aidan into a storage room. It was filled with paintings, photographs, small sculptures, and lots of different gift baskets.
For the first time since they’d met this afternoon, he seemed genuinely impressed. “This is amazing.”
Jackie nodded. “We’re adding each item to a spreadsheet. That’ll make it easier to organize everything for the auction. Allan Terry, Mabel’s husband from the general store, will be the auctioneer. He’s done the same thing at other events and keeps everyone smiling, regardless of whether they buy something.”
“You and Daniella have done so much. I’m incredibly grateful to you.”
“It’s for a good cause,” Jackie mumbled as heat rose to her face. Good grief. What was wrong with her? Aidan pays her one heartfelt compliment and she blushes like a schoolgirl. Quickly, she ushered him out of the storage room. “All the tickets have gone on sale, and we’ve already sold just over a hundred. Thirty tickets have been purchased by people who don’t live in Sapphire Bay.”
“That’s better than I thought,” Aidan said, seeming genuinely surprised.
“It’s because the gala’s at The Fairy Forest. People want to see for themselves how amazing the room will look.”
“It was a good choice of venue, then,” Aidan said.
He gazed into her eyes and Jackie remembered the first time they’d met. She was organizing the last of the flower decorations for a wedding. When she’d looked into his blue eyes, she’d felt the world tilt sideways. And it was no different now.
She cleared her throat and looked at the list of items she wanted to discuss. “Accommodation has become hard to find around Sapphire Bay. Some people are offering rooms in their homes for guests.”
Aidan’s eyebrows rose. “Isn’t that a little odd?”
Jackie shrugged. “Only if you’re from a city. It’s something we do whenever there’s a major event in town. There are still some hotel and vacation rental homes available in Polson, but everything’s filling up fast.”
Aidan nodded, but he didn’t look as though he was listening too carefully to what she said. “Would you mind if I changed the subject? I want to talk to you about something important before Daniella arrives.”
Her heart raced as she braced herself for what was coming. “What is it?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“I’m flying to Miami tomorrow to meet with the management team about the job offer,” he admitted. “After that, I’m heading to New York City for meetings with my team at BioTech. I’ll be gone for at least a week.”
The news hit Jackie like a ton of bricks. She knew this day would come, but hearing it out loud made it even more real. Her heart sank, the weight of disappointment settling heavily on her chest.
“I care about you,” Aidan reassured her, reaching out to touch her arm gently. “Regardless of what happens, I promise I’ll be back for the opening of your store. You mean too much to me to just walk away.”
As Jackie looked into his eyes, searching for sincerity, she realized that despite the uncertainty of their future together, she couldn’t deny the connection they shared. But whether that was worth the risk of having her heart broken was an entirely different matter.
“You don’t have to come back for the opening of the store,” she told him. “It’s a long way to come, especially if you don’t need to be here for work.”
Aidan frowned. “You don’t want me to be here?”
“I didn’t say that.” Jackie took a deep breath. “I really care about you Aidan. But if you’re taking the job in Miami, it might be better if we have a clean break. There’s a lot happening in both our lives and—”
Aidan stepped forward and kissed her so deeply, so unexpectedly, that all she could do was melt into his arms. When they were both breathless, he cradled her in his arms.
“I don’t want to break up with you,” Aidan murmured.
Jackie sighed and stepped out of his arms. “I don’t want that to happen, either, but we might not have a choice.”
CHAPTER17
Aweek later, Jackie stood outside her store watching three men lift the sign for A Stitch in Time into place above the veranda.
